1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate generally to a system that allows a user to create and view a personal video “channel,” where the channel comprises video content from disparate sources and is available to the user anywhere.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, there exists no simple way of consuming the myriad video options available to end users. Generally, users must be in close physical proximity to the various devices used to decode and present the video content received by the devices. For example, if a user has recorded something to his Digital Video Recorder (DVR), he must usually watch that recorded content in his home and on his TV. Similarly, if a user wants to watch an on-demand movie (VoD), he generally must be in front of his TV at home. Further, there are currently so many disparate sources of content and methods of retrieving them (e.g., cable, satellite, Internet, broadcast, mobile, etc.), that an end user can feel overwhelmed with the amount of options available, especially where the user finds the vast majority of available video content uninteresting, but has a very specific idea of what sort of content he does like.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a user with a personal video channel—customized and “programmed” by him directly, and indirectly by taking into account content he has already consumed—which can be viewed from various locations other than those generally associated with the various content sources.